Press release

Schneiderman:
This settlement addresses privacy issues and protects individuals who
expect their information to be confidential

Attorney
General Eric T. Schneiderman Tuesday joined 37 states and the
District of Columbia in announcing a multimillion settlement with
Google over its unauthorized collection of data from unsecured
wireless networks nationwide. Between 2008 and March 2010, Google
took photographs for its "Street View" service and for use in
future geolocation services. At the same time, Google collected and
stored information including email and text messages, passwords and
Web histories being transmitted over unsecured wireless networks
without consent from the consumer.

Under
the terms of the agreement, Google has agreed to secure and destroy
the information it improperly collected, launch an employee training
program to ensure its employees understand how to protect consumers
and their information, conduct a national advertising campaign
to educate consumers on how to protect their private information, and
pay a $7 million fine to the states involved.

"Consumers
have a right to protect their vital personal and financial
information from improper and unwanted use by corporations like
Google," Schneiderman said.
"This settlement addresses privacy issues and
protects the rights of people whose information was collected
without their permission. My office will continue to hold
corporations accountable for violating the rights of New Yorkers."

The
settlement acknowledges that the information Google collected may
have included confidential or private information being transmitted
to or from private homes while the "Street View" cars were
driving by. Google has since disabled or removed both the equipment
and software used to collect such data from its "Street View"
vehicles, and agreed not to collect any additional information
without notice and consent.

The
information collected has been secured and, under the terms of the
agreement, will be destroyed. Further, Google agreed that the
personal data its "Street View" cars collected will not be used
in any product or service or be disclosed to any third party.

Other
key elements of the agreement require Google to launch an employee
training program about privacy and confidentiality of user data and
continue the program for at least 10 years. It must also conduct a
public service advertising campaign to help educate consumers about
steps they may take to better secure their personal information while
using wireless networks.